Will Wayne Ellington set new Heat record for 3-pointers made in single season? A look at his chances with two games remaining

Miami Heat’s Wayne Ellington (2) reacts to making a basket against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Entering Monday’s home game against the Thunder, Ellington is second on the list with 218 made threes. He’s eight 3-pointers away from breaking Damon Jones’ team record of 225 set in the 2004-05 season.

“Let’s see if we can get him those tonight,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said with a smile in advance of Monday’s game. “That would mean he’d shoot 20 of them tonight.”

That’s asking a lot, but maybe not. Ellington did attempt 17 threes in an overtime loss to the Kings on March 14 and made eight threes in a win over the Mavericks on Dec. 22.

But that scenario is still very unlikely, as Ellington is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers per game this season. With two regular-season games remaining — including Monday’s contest — he needs to average four made threes per game over the final two to pass Jones.

“To be a leader in any statistical category for this franchise is a huge thing,” Ellington said Monday when asked what it would mean to get the record. “Obviously, there’s a lot of great players that have come through here and championship teams. If you can be at the top of a list for anything that’s going on here with this Heat organization, it’s a major accomplishment.”

Ellington already made NBA history, when he established an NBA record for 3-pointers made off the bench in a single season during Wednesday’s win over the Hawks. He broke Eric Gordon’s mark of 206 set last season with the Rockets.

“It’s funny, I didn’t even know about that or anything until after the game,” Ellington said of making NBA history. “I got back to my locker and I looked at my phone, I had a lot of text messages and stuff like that. But man, it’s just a testament to a great season so far. Obviously, my teammates and coaches have been unbelievable to me and I always like to thank those guys. But it’s been a heck of a regular season and it’s been a lot of fun.”

[…] Ellington is having the best season of his NBA career. He enters Wednesday’s contest averaging career-highs in points (10.9) and made 3-pointers per game (2.9). Ellington is also having a historic year. He’s already established an NBA record for 3-pointers made off the bench in a single season, as he’s hit 219. Ellington is seven 3-pointers away from breaking Damon Jones’ team record for threes made by an individual in a season of 225 set in 2004-05. If those numbers aren’t enough to convince you of Ellington’s worth, just look at his plus-minus. He’s posted the second-best plus-minus on the team this season with a plus-109, behind just Kelly Olynyk. Now, the question is: Will the Heat be able to retain Ellington this offseason when he becomes a free agent? […]

[…] 30, made $6.3 million last season while setting a personal best and franchise record with 227 threes. The Heat have Ellington’s early Bird rights, allowing them to exceed the cap and play him 175 […]